Diagnosis of depression

It is easy to lose your bearings, when faced with the jungle of different health professions. Although many people notice that they are not feeling well and that they need help, they do not know where to go. There are psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and then there are also psychologists – but who is the right person to contact now? First of all, you should know the difference between them in order to make a well-grounded decision:

In most cases, the family doctor or general practitioner is the optimal first port of call if you suspect that you might be suffering from depression. They will test you or refer you to a specialist to rule out physical causes for your symptoms. If psychotherapy is needed, they can also make a referral.

Psychiatrists are always doctors, i.e. they have completed a degree in medicine and then completed specialist medical training in psychiatry. This means that they are authorized to prescribe medication and make diagnoses. During their training they also acquire psychotherapeutic knowledge and can also use psychotherapy (which is often referred to as “talking therapy”). The psychiatrist is the right choice if there is a disorder that requires both psychotherapeutic and medicinal treatment. If you are unsure whether this is the case for you, you can have this clarified by the psychiatrist.

Neurologists, like psychiatrists, have also studied medicine with subsequent specialist training – however, their treatment focuses on nerve diseases and not on mental disorders. For example, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease or polyneuropathies, i.e. sensory disorders of the nerves, are typically treated by a neurologist. However, a neurologist can also examine brain activity, e.g. by means of an EEG. This can be an important step towards correct diagnosis for people with sleep disorders or depressive symptoms. The neurologist can therefore play a role in preliminary examinations and prescribe medication, but is not authorized to carry out psychotherapy on the patient. Some doctors are psychiatrists and neurologists at the same time, because until about 10 years ago, the training for the two branches was not yet separated.

Psychologists, on the other hand, have completed a wide-ranging study of psychology; although therapeutic content is also taught, this are not comprehensive enough to enable them to treat you. It is also not possible for psychologists to prescribe medication. Pure psychologists can therefore work primarily in an advisory capacity or in diagnostics. They are therefore often found in counselling centers or clinics. If you want to get some initial professional advice or an assessment, or if you are in a crisis, for example, a psychologist can be your first point of contact. As soon as you have a medical disorder and therapy is started, the work of the psychologist stops.

The role of the psychotherapist is the one that differs most from country to country. In Germany, for example, psychotherapy training currently still requires you to be a psychologist, i.e. have a degree in psychology. The psychotherapist can thus be seen as a psychologist with a therapeutic specialization. In Austria, on the other hand, the previously completed higher education qualification can also be obtained in other areas. Psychotherapists may also give diagnoses and, of course, treat patients, but may not prescribe any medication. Psychotherapists differ from each other in the use of different forms of therapy. Depending on the disorder, different therapies are recommended. If therapy without medication is suggested to you, then the psychotherapist is your first choice.

There are some positive effects of self-help groups that have been demonstrated in depression and other diseases. These make them a good support tool for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Self-help groups offer low-threshold access for those affected, i.e. no special requirements or tests are required in order to participate. Self-help groups are characterized primarily by the mutual exchange of experiences; talking to others about your own illness and how to deal with it is the focus. This is often a new experience for the participants and can take place in a protected setting. The groups can either be guided or unguided; they can therefore be carried out with or without specialist staff. If there is specialist staff, specialist information is often discussed, but the evaluation of the respective problems of the participants is mainly done by the participants themselves – hence the name “self-help”. This clearly distinguishes this group work from group therapy. However, there is no need to worry about confidentiality and professionalism; there are always moderators who make sure that the boundaries between the participants are respected and due to the involvement of each individual, the participants often experience an enormous empathy and help that is otherwise rather difficult to get.

Participants in self-help groups particularly value the fact that they are free from the feeling of being alone with their illness; they can get to know other affected people, exchange ideas, gain experience in dealing with their illness, receive specialist information and help – and give it themselves. The self-esteem and self-confidence of the participants can be significantly increased. They increasingly get the feeling that they can deal better with the situation and are no longer overwhelmed by it. Feelings of helplessness are reduced.

These positive changes increase in the course of time; the more frequently and regularly participants attend their group, the better the way they deal with the disease, the more cheerful and less isolated, the more self-confident, the more influential the participants feel. This is especially the case for long-term participants who show an increased resistance to stress and better composure. In fact, self-help groups can make a similarly important contribution to well-being as that of family or partners.

Despite all the positive support that a self-help group can offer, it is important to know that they are not an alternative to medical treatment. They are much more suitable, as is psychoeducation, as an effective tool for the mature patient to deal more successfully with his illness.

If you don’t feel like talking about your personal business with others or you want to stay anonymous, but still exchange ideas, there is also the option of our edupression self-help program. We do not only offer you a forum to exchange your experience with others but also a huge, in-depth-journey into the science of depression and how to overcome it.

Depression is not only an enormous burden for the patient, but also for their close ones.

The closer you are to each other, the more you will feel the effects of the disease – including exhausting and hopeless resistance when trying to support or cheer up the person suffering. For this reason, it is very important that people with a partner suffering from depreszsion know exactly how to give the best possible support to their partner and themselves.

The first and most important step you can take as a relative, is to accept that you cannot eliminate the illness yourself and you should also accept that it has nothing to do with you or your behavior.

Depression is a disease that needs to be professionally diagnosed and treated. This means that if this step has not yet been taken, you should make an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible to plan how to proceed. This is also an important form of relief for you.

It is important that you continue to take care of yourself and not just your partner as the treatment progresses. Otherwise you will notice that you will quickly feel hopeless, exhausted, angry or sad – and in this state support is also difficult. Therefore, make sure that you surround yourself with other people with whom you can laugh and enjoy a relaxed atmosphere, while you are taking care of your sick partner.

Groups of relatives, with whom you can share your feelings, and work through the often frustrating experiences with your depressive partner, are also very helpful. They can give you concrete advice, you can recharge your batteries, and you will feel that you are not alone with your situation.

Finally, a very basic tip: of course it is enormously helpful to know as much as possible about the illness of depression and the effects and the therapy possibilities, etc. – this not only creates understanding for the partner, but also gives you concrete advice on how you can support your partner in the best possible way.

We therefore recommend the use of our edupression psychoeducation program.

The first step in finding your way out of depression is one of the most difficult for many sufferers: allowing and accepting a diagnosis of depression. The difficulty in accepting this disease has several understandable causes.

Often, the symptoms experienced are not associated with depression.
Physical pain, irritability and fatigue are phenomena that are not necessarily associated with a depressive episode.

Another reason why many patients try to differentiate themselves from this diagnosis for as long as possible, is their inexperience with the subject of “mental illness”. Each of us has often had colds, fallen victim to one or the other intestinal virus and has survived minor falls and accidents.

But perhaps you have never been mentally ill. Mental instability is associated with extremely unpleasant images that are threatening and frightening. That is why depression is still a social taboo today. It is surprising that one in four people suffer from this disease once in a lifetime. Those who accept the diagnosis, take it seriously and work together with depression specialists, will quickly realize that this disease has been well researched and can be treated successfully.

There is a lot of knowledge about effective drug and psychological therapies. This knowledge can calm you down and, above all, lead you on the right path – out of depression.

If you are willing to take this first step, you will find a lot of support from science, the medical care system, various depression experts and also from edupression.com. Scientific studies have proven that these supportive factors can help you to overcome depression.

In addition to medication, this also includes certain forms of psychotherapy, activation programs and exercise. The more you know about depression, the sooner you will choose the right therapy, find the right depression specialist, experience a successful treatment response and return to your old self.

Immerse yourself in the exciting world of neurology – a world that needs to be brought back into balance in the event of depression. Learn to recognize symptoms of depression and how to deal with them properly.

We will introduce you to diagnostic criteria and the different severity levels of depression, as well as scientifically proven therapy options that you can implement immediately.

Get to know the different phases of treatment and which depression specialist is suitable for which therapy intensity. Strengthen your inner balance, calmness and concentration with a variety of therapeutically effective exercises.

Welcome to edupression.com – empowering you to beat depression.

The occurrence of depression cannot usually be traced back to a single trigger. Many research findings suggest that depression is usually the result of a combination of several factors.

Both genetic and environmental influences play a role.

Overall, those affected have a low tolerance for psychological and physical stress, which is also referred to as vulnerability.

This vulnerability can occur, on the one hand, as a predisposition, and is thus genetically conditioned. On the other hand, it can also be developed by strongly stressful experiences such as trauma and overwhelming mental stress in childhood.

This particular vulnerability then plays a decisive role in the onset and maintenance of depression.

If this predisposition meets a concrete trigger, there is a risk that a depressive episode will develop. Triggers are usually personally stressful events or overburdening situations, such as the loss of a partner or relative, divorce/separation, overwork at the workplace or simply changes in someone‘s usual lifestyle such as retirement.

It has been proven several times that permanent stress and shocking life events lead to neurobiological reactions, such as increased release of the stress hormone cortisol, During depression, an increased concentration or cortisol can be measured in the blood.

On a neurological level, depression can simply be described as a change in messenger systems in the brain. Certain messenger systems (e.g. the serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine circuits) are out of balance.

Other factors that play a role in the occurrence of depression can be attributed to the personality of the patient. How we have learned to deal with stress, how much we have been supported in believing that we can meet challenges, how secure we have felt in relationships or how high or low our self-esteem has been – much of this is created during our childhood and can, ideally, strengthen us in difficult situations or adversely affect our response to (psychological) stress.

Physical conditions such as chronic pain, cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia and certain medications can also play a role in triggering depression.

If you want to know more about possible risk factors, how to recognise the first signs of depression and what to do then, we are happy to provide you with this information and much more in our psychoeducation programme. Become an expert in your illness and let us accompany and strengthen you on your journey to recovery.